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BEST AVAlLABLE COPE uiltshltst stt-at fficev CHARLES H. FOWLER., 0F WEST RGXBURY, MASSAGHUSETT f LcumPaenzNo. 65,759', manne 11,1367.x

PABLOR TEN-PIN ALLEY.

- To ALL To wHoM THESE Passeurs SHALL COME:

' drawings, makingpart of this specification, and in which- Be it known .that I, CHARLES H. FOWLER, of West Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and desirable improvements in Parlor Ten-Pin Alleys; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. duo reference being had to the accompanying Figure 1 is a perspective view. v Y

Figure 2, a vertical and longitudinal section of such invention.

Figure 3 is a'n under side view of the alley-bed and its operative mechanism.

The'object of the invention is to enable the pins" to be set up" expeditiously, without touching them, and without the necessity of the players moving from the position which they occupy in playing; another object of the invention being to return the balls automatically to the players, or to the end of the alley at which they are standing.

The first part of the invention consists iu attachingn series of cords or chains to the bottom of each pin, these cords extending through holes. in the bed of the alley and into a chamber below such bed, aid being joined and carried forward to the front end of the alley in suchmanner as to be readily seized by the players for the purpose of pulling the pins into an upright position. The-second part of this invention consists in applying a movable or hinged floor in'rear of the pins, or in the ball-receiving chamber of the alley, in such manner that the pulling of the'cords in the uct of raisin" the ins s lalldepress the front end ot' flooring, an d al l o w the the front end of the alley, orimmediately contiguous to the joining of the cords before mentioned.

In the drawings, A denotes a rectangular trough, open at one end, and having a` horizontal partition or alleybed, b, disposed within it in `such manner as to leave a shallow chamber or enelosurefc, below the alley-bed, the flooring d of the trough heilig inclined downwards towards its front end. In rear of the endof the alley-bed b, and enclosed by the end of the trough A, is the 1temporary` ball-receiving space c, the movable bottom f of this space being sunken below the surface of the alley-bed, and hinged to` the rear end of the trough A, and so as to be capable of being depressed into an inclined position, and allow the balls to descend by their gravity into the chamber c. A rope, g, is fixed to the under side of the ooring or trap f, passes around a pulley, h, suitably applied to the bottom of the chamber c, and thence is carried andV fixed to the periphery of the lower 'p art u of a cone-pulley, applied to the under side of the alley-bed b, as represented. A second rope, a', is also applied to the periphery of the said pulley u, and is carried to the front end of the alley-bed, where it is furnished with a button or knob, e'. The i pins" are shown at k k k, etc., as situated vover a series of holes, l l l, ete., made through the alley-bed, 'and arranged in'manner similar to the disposition of the pins in an ordinary ten-pin alley. A series of cords, n'n n, etc., is secured, respectively, to the lower ends of the pino k k lc, and passes down, through the holes l l l, into thechamber c, and is run through a ring or block, v, sup'- ported upon a rope, w, onejend of which is fixed to the periphery of the upper or larger part' x of the pulley z', the opposite end of the cord being fixed to, vand carried once or twice around, the periphery of a pulley or roller, y, applied to the under side of the bed b, and in rear of theA series of .bolesd l l, as shown in figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. A wedge or plug, z, is inserted within the eye of the block v, and serves to confine the cords n n u together andto the rope w, at the same time' allowing any one of the cords to be tightened if occasion requires. An additional rope or chain, b', is xed to, and wound about, the lower part of the roller yin an opposite direction to the ropew, its opposite end being secured to'the eye of an arm or lever, c, making part of a coiled spring, d, applied to the bottom of the chamber c. The front end of the chamber or enclosure c should have a ledge, r, to prevent the escape-of thoballs therefrom. The door or trap. f is to have a spring, s, suitably applied to its under side to keep it in a horizontal position, -A pointed shield or guard, b, is to be disposed within the chamber c, and 4immediately surrounding the holes ll l, for the purpose of guiding the balls, and preventing them from coming into contact with the mechanism for operating the pins.

The operation of the above-described mechanism will readily recommend itself to intelligent persons. In' playing the game of ten`pins upon the alley provided withit, after the three balls have been played, the button c is to be seized, and the rope w pulled towards the players. This action will partially rotate the pulley i, and

A, down which th'y will roll to its front end. Ou releas place by the action of its spring s.

'position at the head ofthe Aulley. The pins a /neously and `vritl1 Ye'ry little trouble, thus at BEST AVAILABLE CGP" 2 pk l 5,752

cnu'se n corresponding movement of the rope wg whichjgill createg'draught upon the cords 7; 'n n, anni pull the pin into an upright .position oiv'er the holes Z l l. The i'olutipif'of the pulley i also causes n. drought upon the rope b', which inclines'. he oor or trap' j', and allows th [f to fall upon the inclined flooring of the trough the hold of the button c the spring d will rotate the pulleyi in au opposite direction, and Slacken the e n n, nndnllow the pins to be knocked down by the blow of' the balls, the rope b at the same time beinglacn; ned, which willallow the floor f to be returned to ayed by 4' ie person, if desiroble, without removing from the eplaeed in aanding position, and the balls returned instantag greatly to pleasure and convenience of the gaine. I claim the application and orrange t of .the trap iloo in such manner that it shall bc lowered simultaneously with the act of raising the a6 and returned to p ce n'hensuch act has been accomplished! essen-l tinlly in manner'and for the purpose 1-: 'before set forth.

I also claim the mechanism fo pemting the pins and tra oo, consstingeof the cords 'n n 1 etc., block and wedge u and c, ropes w, g, a Pulley i, and spring df combined 4und operating together to produce the effects snbstantiolly'as bef i described.V

By means of my invention the game may CHARLES H. FOWLER.

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